Living and Finishing Well (5)
You'll remember that I started a series on finishing well a few days back, and it all began with a look at King Uzziah. Uzziah was a man who started well, but then failed to cross the finish line in good form. He fizzled out in his later years, and so we've been trying to think about how we may do better than he.
Along with the other things we've mentioned, I'd like to suggest that in order to finish well we need to go hard after God through instruction from and meditation on His Word. In 2 Chronicles 26:4, 5 we see that Uzziah set his heart to seek God by submitting to instruction in the fear of God and he was blessed as a result. However in later years, in the pride of his heart he became unfaithful (2 Chronicles 26:16)--presumably giving up these very patterns of going hard after God through instruction and godly fear--and all went south from there.
How does one keep on keeping on in the race of faith? It is by staying strong in the Word; by yielding to its instruction every day. The thought reminds of Psalm 1:1-3. There we see that the one who stays in the Word day and night will have unwithering leaves and will prosper all his days.
I was asked recently what my greatest present tense pastoral concern is. I think it is this: I am deeply burdened beyond words with how many of God's people do not have a regular and meaningful devotional life in which they are being instructed in the fear and love of God through the Word of God in consistent quiet times with God. It cannot go well with God's people when they do not get with God daily and hear His Word that teaches them how to fear and love Him more. We pastors talk to people just about every day (it seems) who do not have consistent devotional times with God--and their stunted spiritual growth and and frustrated relational, moral, and ministry lives are the result.
I'm guessing it was 10-15 years ago now when this lesson came home to me with sufficient force to change me (God enabling) for good. My devotional life was okay, but not great. I was in the Word in quiet times with God perhaps 3-4 days out of 7. But the times were brief and superficial. As I considered this, the following words came to mind with life-altering power: "Tim, you can survive on 15 minutes of Bible reading and prayer per day, but you cannot thrive. And you need to thrive."
So by the help of God and the conviction and faith work of the Spirit, I radically altered my course of life. From that point on I knew I had to fundamentally change how I started my days. I cleared my early morning (7:00AM or so) schedule of sermon study and church tasks, started my day even earlier and committed myself to what has normally consisted of a 60-75 minutes long daily early morning season with God in which I simply read God's Word and mingle it with prayer.
I knew I needed to do this consistently and devotionally and worshipfully if my soul was going to thrive. By this means I have been able to read devotionally and personally (with no thoughts about developing preaching material from it) through the whole Bible at least a dozen times, and the New Testament twice that many times, allowing it to instruct me in the love and fear of my God. It shouldn't surprise me that this has been the most joyful and spiritually prosperous time of my life!
I must do this until the day I die. I want to die with a Bible in my hands. I must never stop going hard after God and being instructed in how to fear and love Him more. As soon as I stop, I will stop running well, and I will not finish well.
Psalm 1 makes it clear that as long as I continue to delight in God and His Word daily my leaf will not wither, and I will bear fruit and prosper in soul, even in my old age. I don't know about all of you, but I know this: I have no interest in simply surviving; I want to thrive. To do it I have to set my heart to seek the Lord through His Word. Nothing less will do.
Along with the other things we've mentioned, I'd like to suggest that in order to finish well we need to go hard after God through instruction from and meditation on His Word. In 2 Chronicles 26:4, 5 we see that Uzziah set his heart to seek God by submitting to instruction in the fear of God and he was blessed as a result. However in later years, in the pride of his heart he became unfaithful (2 Chronicles 26:16)--presumably giving up these very patterns of going hard after God through instruction and godly fear--and all went south from there.
How does one keep on keeping on in the race of faith? It is by staying strong in the Word; by yielding to its instruction every day. The thought reminds of Psalm 1:1-3. There we see that the one who stays in the Word day and night will have unwithering leaves and will prosper all his days.
I was asked recently what my greatest present tense pastoral concern is. I think it is this: I am deeply burdened beyond words with how many of God's people do not have a regular and meaningful devotional life in which they are being instructed in the fear and love of God through the Word of God in consistent quiet times with God. It cannot go well with God's people when they do not get with God daily and hear His Word that teaches them how to fear and love Him more. We pastors talk to people just about every day (it seems) who do not have consistent devotional times with God--and their stunted spiritual growth and and frustrated relational, moral, and ministry lives are the result.
I'm guessing it was 10-15 years ago now when this lesson came home to me with sufficient force to change me (God enabling) for good. My devotional life was okay, but not great. I was in the Word in quiet times with God perhaps 3-4 days out of 7. But the times were brief and superficial. As I considered this, the following words came to mind with life-altering power: "Tim, you can survive on 15 minutes of Bible reading and prayer per day, but you cannot thrive. And you need to thrive."
So by the help of God and the conviction and faith work of the Spirit, I radically altered my course of life. From that point on I knew I had to fundamentally change how I started my days. I cleared my early morning (7:00AM or so) schedule of sermon study and church tasks, started my day even earlier and committed myself to what has normally consisted of a 60-75 minutes long daily early morning season with God in which I simply read God's Word and mingle it with prayer.
I knew I needed to do this consistently and devotionally and worshipfully if my soul was going to thrive. By this means I have been able to read devotionally and personally (with no thoughts about developing preaching material from it) through the whole Bible at least a dozen times, and the New Testament twice that many times, allowing it to instruct me in the love and fear of my God. It shouldn't surprise me that this has been the most joyful and spiritually prosperous time of my life!
I must do this until the day I die. I want to die with a Bible in my hands. I must never stop going hard after God and being instructed in how to fear and love Him more. As soon as I stop, I will stop running well, and I will not finish well.
Psalm 1 makes it clear that as long as I continue to delight in God and His Word daily my leaf will not wither, and I will bear fruit and prosper in soul, even in my old age. I don't know about all of you, but I know this: I have no interest in simply surviving; I want to thrive. To do it I have to set my heart to seek the Lord through His Word. Nothing less will do.
Labels: christian life, Old(er) Age, Retirement, Spiritual disciplines
posted by Tim Shorey at
6:33 AM
3 Comments:
Thanks Tim, very helpful. I am happy to report improvement in this area lately, but still not where I know I must be. Thanks for continuing to propmt us in the right direction.
Praise the Lord for His ongoing grace and growth in all our lives.
BTW: Peter and all, this post fits in with Peter's post and Bruce's comments on Monday: we can be consistently dazzled with God if we are consistently seeing Him in His Word.
Both dazzled and thriving: not a bad way to live!
Well, consider me Razzle-Dazzled then! What am incredible blessing this blog is, and the posters (and commenters) on it.
I honestly thought I was doing ok because I get up at 6 every morning to spend 20 minutes with God before the hustle bustle of life begins... but you are right Tim, I need more of God, and I must make a commitment to get up even earlier to really dwell in the presence of God, His Spirit, and His word. Thank you for challenging me.
Gregory.
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